Aiel
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Pronunciation: eye-EEL

A warrior society that lives in the Aiel Waste. They are divided into clans, which are further divided into septs. Many Aiel belong to one of many warrior societies. The warrior societies have members from various clans and septs. Each clan has a chief and a Wise One. The collection of clan chiefs is as close to any government that the Aiel have, but the Wise Ones have considerable input into any decisions the clan chiefs make.

Clans and Septs#

  1. Chareen
    1. Cosaida
    2. Jarra
    3. White Mountain
  2. Codarra
    1. Jaern Rift
  3. Daryne
    1. Bent Peak
    2. Shelan
  4. Goshien
    1. High Plain
    2. Jhirad
    3. Mosaada
    4. Red Water
    5. Stones River
  5. Miagoma
    1. Cold Peak
    2. Smoke Water
    3. Spine Ridge
  6. Nakai
    1. Black Cliffs
    2. Black Water
    3. Salt Flat
  7. Reyn
    1. Musara
    2. Two Spires
  8. Shaarad
    1. Black Rock
    2. Haido
    3. Imran
  9. Shaido
    1. Domai
    2. Green Salts
    3. Jonine
    4. Jumai
    5. Morai
    6. Moshaine
    7. White Cliff
  10. Shiande
    1. Neder
  11. Taardad
    1. Bitter Water
    2. Bloody Water
    3. Chumai
    4. Four Holes
    5. Four Stones
    6. Iron Mountain
    7. Jagged Spire
    8. Jindo
    9. Miadi
    10. Nine Valleys
  12. Tomanelle
    1. Jenda
    2. Serai
    3. Shorara
  13. (Jenn)

Clan Chiefs#

Wise Ones#

Warrior Societies#

  1. Black Eyes (Seia Doon)
  2. Brothers of the Eagle (Far Aldazar Din)
  3. Dawn Runners (Rahien Sorei)
  4. Knife Hands (Sovin Nai)
  5. Maidens of the Spear (Far Dareis Mai)
  6. Mountain Dancers (Hama N'dore)
  1. Night Spears (Cor Darei)
  2. Red Shields (Aethan Dor)
  3. Stone Dogs (Shae'en M'taal)
  4. Thunder Walkers (Sha'mad Conde)
  5. True Bloods (Tain Shari)
  6. Water Seekers (Duadhe Mahdi'in)

Aiel Terminology#

  • cadin'sor - KAH-dihn-sohr - working clothes
  • da'tsang- "despised" in the Old Tongue. Those who have demonstrated that they have no honor. They are required to wear black and do only useless work until they are shamed into regaining their honor.
  • gai'shain - GYE-shain - Aiel taken prisoner during battle. They are required to wear white and serve their captors for a year and a day.
  • ji'e'toh - "honor and obligation" in the Old Tongue, the core of Aiel ethos.
  • Mera'din - "Brotherless" in the Old Tongue. Aiel who have left their own clans in desperation and joined with the Shaido.
  • oosquai - corn liquor
  • siswai'aman - possible spoilers
  • t'mat - tomato
  • zemai - maize, or corn

References (Possible Spoilers)#

  1. In New Spring
    1. NS,Ch1 - Lan fought the Aiel in the marches of Shienar. They have such respect for him that they call him Aan'allein, a man who is a nation unto himself.
    2. NS,Ch1 - The day the Aiel War ends the Aiel begin moving east from the Erinin River.
    3. NS,Ch2 - The day the Aiel War ends the Aiel begin moving east from the Erinin River.
    4. NS,Ch6 - The Accepted in the White Tower get confirmation that the Aiel really are leaving.
    5. NS,Ch8 - With the departure of the Aiel, the Grand Coalition forces are melting away.
    6. NS,Ch12 - The Aiel cross Kinslayer's Dagger heading for the Spine of the World.
  2. In The Eye of the World
    1. TEotW,Ch4 - First mention of the Aiel. Thom offers to tell stories about them.
    2. TEotW,Ch6 - Tam rants about fighting the Aiel.
    3. TEotW,Ch23 - Only an Aiel can find water in the Aiel Waste.
    4. TEotW,Ch36 - Loial believes that the Aiel have Avendesora.
    5. TEotW,Ch36 - The Aiel battle motto is, "Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared screaming defiance with the last breath to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day."
  3. In The Great Hunt
    1. TGH,Ch10 - Ingtar admires the Aiel. They were the only ones to defeat Artur Hawkwing. Aiel will not hold a sword nor ride a horse.
    2. TGH,Ch16 - When the Aiel sacked Cairhien they spared the Cairhien Royal Library. They will not destroy a book.
  4. In The Dragon Reborn
    1. TDR,Prologue - Pedron Niall wonders about reports of Aiel as far west as Kandor and Ghealdan.
    2. TDR,Ch33 - There are Aiel as far west as Altara hunting for He Who Comes With the Dawn.
    3. TDR,Ch38 - The Aiel believe that they served Aes Sedai before the Breaking of the World. They failed in their service and for that sin they were sent to the Three-fold Land. If they fail the Aes Sedai again, the Aes Sedai will destroy them.
    4. TDR,Ch39 - Aiel call Darkfriends Shadowrunners.
    5. TDR,Ch50 - Lan notes that there are Aiel in Tear.
    6. TDR,Ch56 - The Aiel are the People of the Dragon.
  5. In The Shadow Rising
    1. TSR,Ch11 - Clothes worn by Aiel warriors are called cadin'sor, coats and breeches in browns and grays with soft, laced knee-high boots.
    2. TSR,Ch22 - By custom, when Aiel overcome an enemy hold they are entitled to take one fifth of everything excepting food.
    3. TSR,Ch22 - By custom, no one may shed the blood of someone traveling to or from Rhuidean.
    4. TSR,Ch23 - The Wise Ones teach Egwene and Moiraine about gai'shain and ji'e'toh.
    5. TSR,Ch25 - Rand sees the history of the Aiel in the glass columns.
    6. TSR,Ch26 - Rand sees the history of the Aiel in the glass columns.
    7. TSR,Ch34 - Though many can channel strongly, Wise Ones know next to nothing about Healing.
    8. TSR,Ch48 - Aiel women visit the three arches in Rhuidean when they are apprenticed to become Wise Ones. They return and visit the glass columns as part of the final ceremony to become a Wise One.
  6. In The Fires of Heaven
    1. TFoH,Ch21 - When an Aiel woman weaves a bridal wreath for a man, she chooses flowers that signify her personality, prickly, sweet, submissive, etc.
    2. TFoH,Ch21 - When Aiel marry, after they exchange wedding vows, the groom and his family fight their way through the bride's family then he fights her into submission and carries her off.
    3. TFoH,Ch21 - Once they reach adulthood, Aielmen only sing battle chants and laments for the dead.
  7. In Lord of Chaos
    1. LoC,Ch25 - Aiel men who learn the can channel voluntarily go to the Blight. Consequently, the Wise Ones know nothing of shielding or gentling men.
  8. In A Crown of Swords
    1. ACoS,Ch18 - The Wise Ones of the other clans agree to take part in battle to counter the Shaido Wise Ones.
    2. ACoS,Ch19 - The Wise Ones in Cairhien interpreted Rand's directive so that they have made the Aes Sedai sworn to Rand apprentice Wise Ones.
  9. In Crossroads of Twilight
    1. CoT,Prologue - The Domani are concerned that the Aiel present on Almoth Plain are Rand's fault.
    2. CoT,Ch9 - Bain and Chiad will help Faile try to escape, but they will not go themselves. They were properly taken as gai'shain so leaving would violate ji'e'toh.
    3. CoT,Ch14 - Caressing the Child is a weave unique to the Aiel.
  10. In Knife of Dreams
    1. KoD,Prologue - Wise Ones drink only water.
Categories: Special.Organizations | Category.Top Level Orgs
Copyright (c) 1998 by Gary Kephart